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The First Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

November 26, 2006

The importance of the resurrection of Christ

1 Corinthians 15:14-19 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

At the cross many lost hope

Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

They did not understand His resurrection

Mark 9:31-32 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

A dead Christ was stumbling block to the Jews

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

Jesus is alive by many infallible proofs

Acts 1:2-3 Until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

The apostles ministry emphasized the

resurrection of Christ

Acts 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Acts 3:14-15 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Acts 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Acts 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question

Jesus was raised in a first resurrection

Colossians 1:18 And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn (resurrection) from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Resurrection is a birth

Isaiah 26:19 But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. (NIV)

Jesus is the first begotten of the dead

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (first resurrected) of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

A Son by resurrection

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Hebrews 1:5-6 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten (resurrected) thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten (first resurrected) into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

A glorified resurrection

1 Peter 1:20-21 Who (Christ, v.19) verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory [or glorified him, NIV]; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Jesus was the first to rise out from dead

Acts 26:23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

Resurrected in the same bodily form

Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

His resurrected body had the unique powers

John 20:19,26 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Luke 24:35-37 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. 36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

A body of immortality

Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

I am alive forevermore

Revelation 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Jesus brought life and immortality to light

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death (by His resurrection), and hath brought life and immortality [not subject to death] to light through the gospel:

Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

Christ’s resurrection fulfilled the promise

given to the fathers

Acts 13:30-38 But God raised him (Jesus, His Son) from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32 And we declare unto you glad tidings (the gospel), how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesusagain; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day (the day He was resurrected) have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. 35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 But he (Jesus), whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: